During his lifetime, St. Francis oversaw the formation of three orders. The first two were the Friars Minor and the Poor Clares and the third was originally known as the Third Order, or the Brothers and Sisters of Penance, now the O.F.S. (Ordo Franciscanus Saecularis). The Third Order allowed those with families and other obligations the ability to follow Francis’ example of bringing the Gospel to life.

The Seculars, like other Franciscan orders, are governed by a rule which can be traced back to Francis’ time; the current rule was approved by Pope St. Paul VI in 1978. The rule emphasizes ongoing formation, prayer, serving the marginalized, and gathering in fraternity with our brothers and sisters. Like other Franciscan orders, Seculars make lifelong vows to live their vocation.

The O.F.S. presence is widespread and its historical influence impressive. There are fraternities in over 70 countries and in all 50 states. Prominent Seculars include Michaelangelo, Franz Liszt, St. Katharine Drexel, and Mother St. Frances Cabrini. Sainthood, however, is not a prerequisite. What Seculars have in common is a lifetime commitment to bring the Gospel to life in the secular world. They do this in many ways, but they are all united by the Franciscan motto to bring “peace and all good” to our broken world.

In the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama, the Secular Franciscan fraternity of St. Joseph Cupertino meets at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Bessemer on the fourth Sunday of each month. Its members come from a range of backgrounds — nurses, stay-at-home parents, professors, retirees, teachers — which give the fraternity gatherings a broad perspective on the practical means of bringing the Gospel to life in the secular world.

Franciscan gatherings provide spiritual and literal sustenance to members, sharing the challenges and blessings of our lives, praying together, eating together (Franciscans love to eat!), and, like any organization, conducting the nuts and bolts business necessary to keep the fraternity going. The heart of our gatherings, however, consists of ongoing formation where we dive deep into studying the Gospels and Franciscan documents and discussing how to bring these to bear in our own lives.

But we are more than a Franciscan book club or prayer group. We gather in fraternity to support one another in our call to bring the Gospel to life in our daily lives. As individuals and as a fraternity, we strive to follow Jesus in St. Francis’ footsteps by being messengers of God's peace and by sharing our society’s marginalized, particularly through apostolates.

Individual members take part in various apostolates, ranging from being a Red Cross volunteer to serving at local food banks. As a fraternity, St. Joseph Cupertino not only serves its host parish but also has two primary apostolates.

At each gathering, gleaning bags for the Society of St. Andrew are prepared. The organization collects excess produce from farm fields and farmers’ markets to feed the hungry. This apostolate allows all members, regardless of physical limitations, to participate.

In the second apostolate, we support the Friars Poor of Jesus Christ, Franciscan friars in Birmingham who minister to the homeless. Our fraternity collects snacks for the friars to distribute in lunches, makes a monthly monetary donation to the friars’ mission, and members who are able join the friars once a month in their street ministry.

In these myriad ways, Secular Franciscans — locally and around the world — strive to keep Francis’ radical example of Gospel living alive. So the next time you see a cute St. Francis birdbath, let it be a reminder to pray for the men and women who strive to follow in his footsteps in the modern world.